This invention relates generally to seals. More specifically, this invention relates to a compartment seal for use primarily with automotive hoses and tubes extending between two compartments.
Compartment seals are known in the prior art. Such compartment seals comprise an aperture formed within a wall separating two compartments having a grommet circumferentially lining the aperture and sized to sealably engage the periphery of a hose or tube axially disposed within the grommet to provide a seal between the compartments while having the tube or hose extend in each compartment. Typically, one of the compartments is the engine compartment separated from an occupant compartment by a firewall or dash. It is necessary to prevent fumes and smoke produced in the engine compartment from passing through the firewall into the occupant compartment. Unless effectively sealed, smoke and fumes from the engine compartment invariably migrate into the occupant compartment. A hose or tube passing through the firewall providing fuel or oil to and from the engine compartment poses a threat for such undesirable gases to pass through into the occupant compartment via apertures providing access to both compartments. The prior art uses a grommet configured to fit within the aperture formed in the firewall and sized to engage an outer periphery of the fuel or oil hose. However, the fuel and oil hoses have fittings at either end to engage complimentary fittings for coupling the hoses. The opening of the grommet is smaller in diameter than the fittings that are at either end of the hose. The partial resiliency of the grommet material provides limited expansion to allow passage of a fitting through the aperture in the grommet without causing undue stress and wear in an attempt to remove a fuel or oil line having a fitting. Furthermore, passing the larger fittings through the grommet causes undue stress and wear. On the other hand, it is not feasible to pass the hose through the grommet absent the installed fittings because special tooling is needed to remove and reinstall the fittings. The present grommet design may be chamfered at the opening to facilitate and direct the hose to the centerline during assembly. However, this present grommet design is not suitable for off center positioning of the hose, which causes undue stress on both the hose and grommet. Furthermore, during more extreme angular displacements fumes and smoke leaks from the engine compartment out between the grommet and the hose extending into the occupant compartment. Such extreme angular displacements are commonly encountered with automobiles used for racing because of the limited room in both compartments as well as because of the extreme conditions these automobiles are used.
Despite the activity in the prior art in attempt to form a seal between two compartments to eliminate fumes and smoke from migrating therebetween, a need remains for simple and inexpensive means by which an occupant compartment of a vehicle can be effectively sealed against the entry of fumes and smoke from another compartment when a hose or tube extends between the two compartments.
There is also a need to provide simple and inexpensive seal components which may readily be employed with tubing or wiring with associated fittings, and that for diverse other applications, to afford such protection in a highly convenient manner, which components may in addition afford greatly improved isolation from smoke, fumes, and other environmental elements.
The above discussed and other drawbacks and deficiencies of the prior art are overcome or alleviated by the compartment seal of the present invention. In accordance with the present invention a compartment seal is disposed about an automotive tube or hose extending from an engine compartment to prevent leakage of smoke and fumes into an occupant compartment. The compartment seal comprises a body member having an opening therethrough. The body member having a plurality of openings circumferentially arranged around said opening and having a periphery sized larger than an aperture in a wall, the plurality of openings providing a means for attaching said body member to said wall. The compartment seal further includes a seal element secured to the body member, the seal element having an aperture therethrough, the aperture in the seal element being in general alignment with the opening in said body member. The aperture in the seal element having a diameter less than a diameter of the opening in the body member. The seal element sealingly engages tubing passing through the aperture in the seal element.
In contrast to the prior art, smoke and fumes generated in the engine compartment are prevented from leaking through the seal element even during extreme angular displacements of the tubing extending through the seal element, such as encountered with automobiles used for racing, generally circle or oval track racing, during cornering. This is due to the use of a resilient seal and the seal having central openings that are about thirty-five percent smaller in diameter than that of the axle passing therethrough. The opening diameter of the prior grommet seal is about ten percent smaller in diameter than that of the tubing passing therethrough and does not lend itself to allowing a fitting connected to the tubing to pass therethrough.
Accordingly, the prior art problem of smoke and fumes leaking from the engine compartment into the occupant compartment during more sever angular displacements of the tubing, such as encountered with automobiles used for racing, generally circle or oval track racing, during cornering, is avoided, while allowing fittings on such tubing to pass through. The aforementioned prior art seal is not suitable for sufficiently resolving this prior art problem.
The above discussed and other features and advantages of the present invention will be appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and drawings.